Transcript Interviewing Strategies

Interviewing Strategies
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Agenda - 
Interviewing is a sales process
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Interview types and formats
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Basic interviewing principles and rules
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Commonly asked questions / competency based questions
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Questions YOU should ask
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Closing and follow up
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Interviewing is a Sales Process . . .
IF
Your FEATURES
Can solve their problems or address their NEEDS
THEN
You can demonstrate BENEFITS
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Interview Mission
Find a MATCH
between you, the employer and the job
CAN you do the job?
WILL you do the job?
Is there a FIT?
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Impact of Communication
Verbal ____ % (words)
Vocal
____ % (voice)
Visual
____ % (appearance;
body language)
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Interviewing
Types
Formats
Screening
One-on-One
Qualifying
Telephone
Approval
Panel
Psychological
Round Robin
Blessing
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Selling Yourself
Focus on your ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CHALLENGE
ACTION
RESULT
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Interviewing Principles
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Know yourself and review your accomplishments
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Dress appropriately, neatly and conservatively
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Be polite and pleasant
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Let the person you are calling on indicate where you should sit
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Be careful to control signs of nervousness
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Concentrate on your values
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Interviewing Principles (continued)
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Demonstrate enthusiasm
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Project optimism
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Take a positive view of things
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Never discuss personal problems with an interviewer
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Avoid premature discussion of salary
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Be an alert listener and observer
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Interviewing Principles (continued)
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Concentrate on the idea of making a contribution in a team
environment
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Follow the interviewer’s pace
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Respect the confidence of past employers
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Be yourself, not what you think someone else expects you
to be
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Ask for a business card
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Rules of Interviewing to remember
1.
Keep it brief (1 minute)
2.
Stop talking when you have said enough
3.
Listen carefully
4.
Don’t be modest
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Don’t exaggerate
6.
Talk in concrete terms (use accomplishments as examples)
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Never defend or argue
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Make connections for the interviewer
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Commonly Asked Questions
1.
Tell me about yourself…
2.
What are your top three strengths?
3.
What are your weaknesses?
4.
How would you describe your relationship with your former manager?
5.
What is your work / management style?
6.
Tell me about a project that did not turn out as you anticipated. What did you learn
from this experience?
7.
Tell me about a time when you had a major conflict with a colleague. How did you
approach problem resolution?
8.
Why are you interested in our company?
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How would your peers / subordinates / manager describe you?
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Why should we hire you?
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What are your salary requirements?
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Competency Based Questions
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Give an example of a time in which you…
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Describe a situation in which you…
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Describe the most significant…
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Recall the most…
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Responding to Negatively Based Questions
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Start the response with a positive (generalize)
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Talk about the negative
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End on a positive (how you have learned to manage
the negative)
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Questions You Should Ask
You’re investigating an opportunity . . .
looking for a FIT
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Why is the position available?
What is the most important thing I can do for you in my first 90
days on the job?
What do you think is the greatest opportunity for the organization
in the near future? The biggest threat?
What has been your best experience working at the company?
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Attitude Strickouts . . .
The following “Attitude Strickouts” most often condemn
job candidates . . .
1.
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3.
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8.
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10.
Don’t ask questions
Condemnation of past employers
Inability to take criticism
Poor personal appearance
Indecisive, cynical, lazy
Overbearing, overly aggressive, “know it all”
Late to interview
Failure to look at interviewer while interviewing
Unable to express self clearly
Overemphasis on money
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Closing and Follow Up
At the interview . . .
 Ask any questions that haven not been answered
 Discuss next steps / ask permission to follow up
After the interview…
 Send Thank You letters
 Follow up with potential employer
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Remember . . .
Don’t assume you know when the
interview is over . . .
The interview is not over until you no
longer have an interest in the job.
Until then, the clock is ticking.
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